Jewish leaders from four continents met here this weekend to probe technical assistance needs of Jewish communities in 20 countries. The leaders are representatives of the World ORT Union executive committee which meets twice annually to review work done in its organizational network of some 400 trade schools around the globe.
The private three-day session was presided over by former French parliamentarian and executive committee chairman Daniel Mayer. Max A. Braude, the agency’s director-general, in a keynote address, traced the growth of the operational and financial arms of the organization which is expected to budget a more than $6, 000, 000 expenditure for 1960 at a time when the worldwide demand for training far outweighs facilities available.
Pressures on the organization, he reported, stem from North Africa where it feeds craftsmanship to thousands of people threatened with pulverization if unskilled; in Israel where a rising industrial expansion makes sharp demands on the skilled; in Europe where booming factory conditions place technical qualifications at high priority.
Professor William Haber, president of the World ORT Union Central Board and chairman of the American ORT Federation, reported on the recent negotiations with the American Joint Distribution Committee which will provide $1, 700, 000 during 1960 for the vocational training programs of ORT.
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